Like this:

Took almost the entire week off work and was happy that PF could come over so I could spar a bit.

Warmed up with Chi Sau.

Moved on to Chair Sparring. Starts off a bit like Rock’em Sock’em but teaches upper body evasion and it’s a lot of fun. Kept having to scoot my chair forward so I eventually put PF’s chair-back against the wall.

Like this:

“Your career criminal / person with violent proclivities does not need martial arts / combat sport training to be extremely skilled in their own environment. They are “untrained” from a martial arts / combat sports / consensual fighting perspective; but their experience in the context we are discussing (crime and violence) makes them far more skilled than the allegedly more sophisticated martial artist whose expertise derives from another area and who lacks that experience.” Iain Abernethy (Karateka)

When shadows reappeared in Mordor in the third age, it gave rise to a reawakening. The evil that had dwelt in the lands “dying but no yet dead” became revitalised. The rebirth happened quietely, outside of the gaze of the shire and was led by Saruman.

Gung Fu is never meant to spill into the public domain. Its effectiveness relies on its technical aspects remaining firmly behind closed doors so as to enable its underlying principle to function; deception.

The purpose of *dissimulation is simple. As Gung Fu men, realise that deception is one of the key traits of a successful street aggressor and so our training, although mostly physical, is presented in a way where we train to out beguile the attacker. A good example would be to place the hands in a preparatory position evoking the non-verbal cue of submission and tricking the attacker to believe that we are being compliant. And it is from this position that we launch our non-telegraphed pre-empted strike, be it a punch delivered to the nose, jaw or neck, or a well-timed kick delivered to the groin or knee. A central maxim in Gung Fu being ‘sien faat jai yan’ – (move first to gain the initiative).

So, to create an environment in which our Gung Fu skills can operate, our aim is not to reveal the intention behind our actions, be it in training or the street. If the general populace has no idea as to how Gung Fu works, then they are unable to prepare a defense against our attacks or a system of movements to counter-act our skills.

Disguise what you do under a veil of secrecy and overall, do not allow the techniques of Gung Fu to become public (biu jee but chut mun).

*Dissimulation is a form of deception in which one conceals the truth.

“Make techniques as simple as possible, avoid complexity for the sake of looking good and constantly look for ways to perform a technique with less movement.”Jesse Glover, describes the essential elements ofGung Fu.

A feeling of awe is hard to describe. Something that grows in the pit of your stomach and makes your skin tingle with excitement. When I first met Jesse in 2004, I remember this overwhelming feeling of awe.

Like this:

I fight those who want to harm me. I fight to make a living and support my family. I fight to keep my relationship alive. I fight for my rights as a human being. I fight the barbel across my upper back. I fight for my family values. I fight to live my dreams. I fight to find out my true nature.